Disc drives are well-known in the industry. Disc drives are used to store digital information on rigid discs coated with a magnetizable material and a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. Discs are mounted on a spindle motor, which rotates the discs for operation. Information is read from or written to the disc surface via transducers carried on a slider, supported relative to the disc surface via a suspension system.
The suspension assembly includes a load beam and a gimbal spring for supporting the slider. The slider is coupled to the gimbal spring at an upper surface of the slider. The gimbal spring is also coupled to the load beam. The lower surface of the slider defines an air bearing surface. Rotation of a disc via the spindle motor interacts with the air bearing surface of the slider to create a hydrodynamic lifting force to lift the slider to fly above the disc surface for reading information from and writing information to the disc surface. The gimbal spring supports the slider to allow the slider to pitch and roll relative to the disc surface for operation. The load beam supplies a preload force to counteract the hydrodynamic lifting force of the slider. The preload force supplied by the load beam, and the hydrodynamic lifting force created by the air bearing surface and rotation of the disc, define the fly characteristics of the slider (and transducer) above the disc surface.
The slider is positioned relative to various concentric data tracks via an actuator mechanism. The actuator mechanism typically includes an "E-block" assembly, which is rotationally coupled to a base of the disc drive to define a rotary-type actuator. The "E-block" includes a plurality of spaced actuator arms and is rotationally operated via an actuator drive under the control of electronic circuitry. In particular, the suspension assemblies supporting the slider are coupled to actuator arms of an "E-block" in alignment with upper and lower surfaces of discs supported by the spindle motor.
The suspension assemblies are coupled to actuator arms via a swaging technique. The suspension assemblies each include a tubular-shaped stake having an open central channel extending therethrough. The outer dimension of the stake is sized for insertion into a hole extending through an actuator arm of the "E-block". After the stake is inserted into the hole, the stake is swaged (radially deformed) to the hole of the actuator arm to secure the suspension assembly to the actuator arm. Typically, suspension assemblies are coupled to opposed surfaces of an actuator arm for alignment relative to upper and lower disc surfaces. In particular, a tubular-shaped stake of a first suspension assembly is inserted into an upper portion of the hole such that extended ends of the stake extend downwardly from the fixed end. The stake is coupled to the upper portion of the hole for alignment relative to an upper disc surface. A stake of a second suspension assembly is inserted into a lower portion of the hole such that extended ends of the stake extend upwardly from a fixed end. The stake is coupled to the lower portion of the hole for alignment relative to a lower disc surface. A swaging device is inserted through the central channel of stakes positioned in the hole to impart a swaging force to deform the stakes against the wall of the hole for permanently connecting suspension assemblies to the actuator arms.
Oftentimes, single heads in an "E-block" will be defective, and it will be desirable to remove that head from the "E-block" for replacement so that the entire "E-block" does not need to be discarded. Thus, in order to disconnect a defective suspension assembly (or head) from an actuator arm, it is necessary to release the force holding the stake to the actuator arm so that the suspension assembly may be released. Adjacent suspension assemblies fixed to adjacent actuator arms are positioned in close proximity; and, accordingly, it is difficult to release a single stake from an actuator arm without degrading or affecting the other suspension assemblies. Thus, it is desirable to provide a system for removing or "deswaging" stakes of suspension assemblies having defective heads from actuator arms without degrading adjacent suspension assemblies on the same "E-block".